Primary care electronic health records provide prescribing data in a large proportion of research studies. However, there are many scenarios where a medication is prescribed but this is not recorded in electronic health records, and so researchers need to be aware of common scenarios where missing prescription data could undermine their research. Scenarios where […]
Understanding multimorbidity to improve patient care
One of the greatest challenges for healthcare is multimorbidity: the presence in one person of multiple long-term diseases. At least a quarter of the UK population have more than one long-term disease, and those that do are more frequent users of NHS services. The specific diseases an individual has affects how they interact with the […]
Multimorbidity and mental health services – a combined challenge?
Blog by Dr Duncan Edwards, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow and GP Much is made of the need to adapt health services for patients with multimorbidity, and much is made of the need to improve struggling mental health services. They’re often presented as separate challenges. News stories can conjure up images of older patients with multiple […]
Why are undertakers so busy?
Blog by Dr Duncan Edwards, GP and doctoral research fellow at the Primary Care Unit My local undertakers are having a busy year. And it’s not just me that’s noticed this. GPs make routine visits to undertakers, to confirm the dead are legally fit for cremation, and we have learned only to ask the question […]
Over half of GP consultations are now with patients with multimorbidity, according to new study of patient data
Over 14 million people in England have multiple long-term health problems and over a third of those have a mental health condition, according to a new analysis of data from over 400,000 patients in England. More than half of GP consultations are now with patients with multimorbidity, say researchers in the new study, published today in […]
Number of comorbidities should guide decision-making for dementia care
People living with dementia usually have one or more other diseases, which can mean they are complex to treat and which may accelerate the progression of their dementia. A new study, from Dr Duncan Edwards and colleagues at the Primary Care Unit and Universidad Católica, Chile, shows how the use of health care services by […]